Envelope moistener and sealer



("No Model.)

J. M. DEMP.SEY. ENVELOPE MOIS'TENER AND SEALER.

No. 533,948.- Patented Feb. 12,1895.

iTEn STATES FFI I ATENT ENVELOPE MOISTENER AND SEALER.

SJPE(J I FIGPAIO 1\T forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,948, dated February 12, 1895.

- ful Improvement in Envelope Moisteners and Sealers; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inven tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the a same, reference being hadrto the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specificatlon.

Myinvention relates to new and useful in1'- out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view of a device constructed in accordance with my invention, said section being taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of .the same. Fig. 4:. is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 5. is a detail sectional view illustrating a some- What different form of moistener.

Referring by letter to said drawings, A designates a suitable reservoir or'tank for water, provided in its upper side with a filling aperture conveniently fitted with a funnel a.

B designates a horizontally extending table or base, which is conveniently made hollow, in the manner shown.

As shown more particularly in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the tank or reservoir A does not communicate with the hollow baseportion B, but isseparated therefrom by a partition a, so that water from the reservoir A cannot find its way into the hollow base.

A pipe 0 communicates at one end with the lower part of the reservoir A, and is conveniently carried out transversely through the hollow base B, and thence upwardly to a point above the level of the upper wall I), of the base, and the free end 0 of said pipe is arranged to extend horizontally above said up per wall I), of the'baseB.

In the particular construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, of-the drawings, a pad D of absorbent material is inserted in an open* Fig. 3. is-a front elevation of the same.

Application filed Tune 23, 1894- Serial No. 515 ,942- (No model.)

ing or slot in the under side of the horizontal part 0 of the bent tube, and this pad is arranged to extend somewhat below the lower side of said tube, with its lower surfacedn substantially the same horizontal plane as the top wall I) of-the base B. a

As shown in the drawings, the reservoir A is made of such height as to extend considerably above the level of the horizontal pipe 0' which supports the pad D of absorbent material so that water will readily find its way from the reservoir through the bent tube G, into the horizontal part 0' of said tube and into contact with the pad D, so as to saturate said pad, and enable moisture to be applied thereby to the flaps of envelopes, whichmay be passed under said pad, in an obvious manner.

As shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 2, I prefer to provide, immediately beneath the pad D, an opening or slot b in the upper wall I) of the base B, so that any excess-of moisture will be permitted to drip from the lower side of said pad into the hollow base B, in an obvious manner.

In order to facilitate the passage of the envelope flaps beneath the pad D, I provide an oblique guide-plate E, shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and 4, the lower edge e of which i is arranged to come close to the upper surface of the wall b, of thebase B, a space being left between the end of the oblique plate E and the face of the reservoir A. By this construction the edges of the envelope'flaps are guided beneath the pad D, and their gummed surfaces brought into contact with the moist pad, in an obvious manner, so as to moisten the gum and render the same adhesive. ter the flap has been passed beneath the moistening pad, the envelope may be sealed in the ordinary way, if desired, but in order to facilitate the sealing as well as the mois: tening 0f the envelope flaps, I prefer to construct the base B in substantially the -1nanner shown in the drawings, the upper wall I) thereof affording a broad, flat surface upon which the envelopes may be folded down onto the flaps, in the operation of sealing.

In passing the envelopes through the device, the fiapsf, of the envelopes, are opened up, as shown more particularly'in Fig. 4, so as to pass horizontally beneath the pad, and

the main parts F of the envelopes held in an oblique or vertical position, as shown. In this position, the envelopes may be readily grasped and drawn lengthwise through the device, so as to pass the gummed flaps 1ongitudinally beneath the. pad, when the envelopes may be folded down, in the manner described, in sealing.

At one end of the hollow base B, I prefer to provide a discharge aperture, by means of which any accumulation of water in the hollow base may be poured out. For this purpose, I find it convenient to provide a nipple G, provided with a screw-threaded cap or plug g, bywhich it may be closed at will.

As a separate and further improvement, I may employ one or more pressure rollers II, revolubly mounted upon the device, in any convenient manner, so as to press the envelopes and the moistened flaps together in the operation of sealing.

Instead of the particular form of moistening pad shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, I may, of course, employ any other desired form of moistening device, such for instance, as that shown in Fig. 5, this latter device consisting of a sleeve I, revolubly mounted upon the horizontal part 0 of the bent tube (J, and provided with perforations or apertures it for the escape of water, and having an exterior covering or coating J, of

absorbent material, adapted to take up the water and distribute the same over the surfaces of articles passed beneath it. In this particular form of construction, when the flaps of the envelopes are passed beneath the moistener, the latter will rotate in an obvious manner, and distribute moisture over the entire surface of the gummed flaps.

With my improved device, the flaps of e11- velopes may be very rapidly moistened and sealed, and the reservoir is capable of holding a supply of water sufficient for moistening the flaps of a large number of envelopes without the necessity of refilling the reser- V011.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A device for moistening and sealing the flaps of envelopes comprising a reservoir. an elongated horizontal base, a pipe leading from the lower part of the reservoir and extending over said horizontal face, and provided with apertures for the escape of water, and amoistening pad of absorbent material secured to said pipe, and arranged to receive moisture from said apertures, substantially as described.

2. A device for moisteuing and sealing the laps of envelopes comprising a reservoir for water, a horizontal base, a pipe leading from the lower part of said reservoir through said horizontal base, and bent upwardly and arranged at its free end to extend horizontally above said base, and provided with apertures for the escape of water, and a moistening pad secured to the horizontal part of said pipe, and arranged to receive moisture from said apertures, substantially as described.

3. A device for moistening and sealing the flaps of envelopes comprising a reservoir, an elongated horizontal base, a pipe leading from the lower part of the reservoir and extending over said horizontal base, and provided with apertures for the escape of water, a moistening pad of absorbent material secured to said pipe, and arranged to receive moisture from said apertures, and an oblique guide-plate arranged to direct the flaps to be moistenedbeneath said pad, substantially as described.

4. A device for moistening and sealin g the flaps of envelopes comprising a reservoir, an elongated, hollow, horizontal base, a pipe leading from the lower part of the reservoir, and extending over said hollow horizontal base, and provided with apertures for the escape of water, a moistening pad of absorbent material secured to said pipe, and arranged to receive moisture from said apertures, a slot or aperture in the upper wall of the hollow base beneath said pad, and a discharge spout for water, provided with a cap or plug, substantially as described.

5. A device for moistening and sealing the flaps of envelopes comprising a reservoir A, for water, horizontal base B pipe 0, a moistening pad secured to said pipe, and one or more pressure rollers 11 for compressing the envelopes upon the moistened flaps, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN M. DEMPSEY.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. WILES, E. W. STRUT. 

